Come Clean
by HeartCrushing
Summary: High School AU. Rick and Kate have been dating for eight months, but there's no way she could be pregnant, right? No, this had to be a fluke.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: I saw this prompt floating around, and I decided to go for it. It's a high school AU fic, but set in the present time because I really, really don't want to have to think back to the '90's. This fic will probably deviate slightly from canon facts, but that is just to make things easier to write._

It was not the first day that week Kate Beckett had woken up feeling sick. Silencing her alarm, she sat slowly and took in the sights of her bedroom, trying to think of anything but the storm raging in the pit of her stomach. She took in one deep breath and then another before she knew she was going to be sick. She stumbled her way across the hall to her small bathroom and proceeded to vomit into the toilet. Just as she was catching her breath she heard a light rap on the door. _Great_

"Katie," her mother's voice called, "are you alright?"

As much as she wanted to respond affirmatively, her stomach had other plans. She retched once more as her mother entered the tiny room and took a seat on the ledge of the bathtub. Her mother's hands made a soft trail down her back as she was sick. When she knew her stomach was empty she shrugged out of her mother's embrace and headed for the sink to brush her teeth. Maybe if she ignored her mom she'd let it drop. Kate made her way back to her bedroom and began selecting her outfit for the day ahead.

"Katherine Beckett, you get your butt back in bed," he mother demanded. "You're sick! You aren't going to school today." Kate clutched a plain red shirt to her chest and rolled her eyes.

"Mom, I'm fine. I will be fine. I have to go to school today." She turned back to her dresser and began looking for a clean pair of jeans.

"There is no reason for you to be going to school just so you can vomit on the other kids. You're staying home, and that is final!" Kate had to find a way to get to the bottom of her nauseating suspicions. She had to go to school and talk to Rick.

"I have to take a test today," she grumbled before she could stop the words from coming out. "Calculus," she added quickly.

"Katie, you're sick. It'll be an excused absence and you can make up the test when you're feeling better."

"Mom, I'm already feeling better. I'll be fine." She tried to shoo her mother out of the room, but the older woman was having none of it. She pressed a hand to her daughter's forehead and frowned slightly.

"You don't have a fever-"

"So I'm fine," her daughter interrupted. "Look, I'll be fine. I have a calculus test to take today. I promise you I'll come home if I need to. I just... please?" Johanna sighed.

"As long as you promise to call me the moment you feel sick," Johanna implored. Kate nodded her promise, and her mother reluctantly exited her bedroom. The teen took another deep breath and pressed her hand to her stomach. She was pretty sure she wouldn't be sick again, but took another set of calming breaths before changing her clothes.

Rick Rodgers arrived at Stuyvesant High School just before the first bell rang to usher students to class. It wasn't abnormal for him to be welcomed to school by the ringing of the first bell. What was unusual was seeing his girlfriend, Kate Beckett, rushing into the building just behind him. Kate usually arrived much earlier than he, opting to use time before class started to review her materials. When he noticed the her flushed face he wanted to say something to her, but the bell beat him to the punch and he barely had time to wave in her direction before running off to his first class of the day: French. While sitting in his seat, he couldn't concentrate on a single word Mme Thicke was saying. Instead, his mid wandered to the slightly exasperated look on his girlfriend's face that morning. Something was going on behind those hazel eyes of hers and he couldn't wait to find out what it was.

Across the building, Kate sat in her first period Russian Language class thinking about her boyfriend of 8 months. She knew that she had to talk to him, especially if her suspicions were correct. How was she going to broach this topic with him? Sure, he was a great guy, but this could turn out to be a very stressful situation.

The bell rang, releasing Kate from her Russian class. She hurried to her second period biology class, where she discovered that she had forgotten her calculator at home. _Things could be worse_ , she thought, _I could have actually had a Calculus test today_. She chuckled to herself at her own stupidity earlier that morning. _I have to take a test_ her own voice rattled around her head. Of course she had to take a test, just not an academic one.

Lunch rolled around soon enough and she was sitting at a small table with her friend Javier, waiting for Rick to show. The pair sat in silence, Kate picking idly at the the label on the bottle of water serving as her lunch. She didn't want to give her stomach any more ammunition. It wasn't unusual for Javier and Kate to sit together in silence; he typically preferred to eat before talking.

"Hey, babe," Rick said as he joined the duo at the table. "Are you doing alright?" Kate rolled her eyes.

"I'm fine," she breathed. Debating with herself, she continued. "Actually," she began, "I really need to talk to you." The pair spared a glance in Javier's direction. He took the subtle hint and stood from the table, collecting the remains of his lunch along the way.

"You know, I think I see Josh over there, and I, uh, need his help with some, uh, homework," he said.

Watching their friend make his escape, Kate was becoming more and more nervous. How was she going to do this?

"So what's up," her boyfriend questioned, picking up his pizza slice. She looked nervous, like really nervous.

"I, uh," she began shakily, "I think... I think I might be pregnant." She chanced a look at her boyfriend, only to find him gaping at her.

"Are you sure? I mean..."

"I'm not entirely sure. I haven't taken a test yet, but my period is like two weeks late, I've been sick all week, my boobs hurt...the signs are there. I've just been too terrified to take a test," she admitted quietly. "I don't know what to do. I just...I don't know." She rested her head in her hands.

"Well," he began, "what can we do? Why don't we get a test after school and go from there? I know you're worried, and I am too, but we should get some definitive results before we get ahead of ourselves? We'll deal with this the best we can." He rubbed his hand over his face, trying to cover the anxiety he felt.

The following hours passed in a blur, and after the final bell rang the pair met outside their school building. Linking hands, the pair began walking towards Rick's apartment. They had decided on heading to Rick's home after school because Kate worried her mother might be hovering in their apartment after the events of that morning. The duo walked into the local Duane Reed in silence, making their way to the family planning aisle with dread. Grabbing the necessary item, they paid without meeting the eye of their cashier and left the store.

As soon as they were sure Rick's mother was out of the apartment, Kate locked herself in the bathroom and set herself to the task at hand. Emerging five minutes later, her eyes were wet as she approached her boyfriend. He was immediately at her side.

"Rick. The test... it's positive. I'm pregnant."

 _Author's Note: I don't write fan fiction. I really, really don't. I write reports, theses, and factual summaries. I don't write fiction of any sort, so this is all a new arena for me. The way I see this, it **could** be a standalone one-shot, or I could flesh it out. There are a lot of reactions to include, a lot a characters left to see. I'd greatly appreciate it if you could leave a review with your thoughts. Thank you for reading this! _


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: The response to the first chapter was overwhelmingly positive, and I am eternally grateful. The support means more than you'll ever know. This chapter picks up right where the last one left off._

"Rick. The test... it's positive. I'm pregnant."

Rick gaped at his girlfriend. Since their lunch hour, he'd known this was a possibility. Now that this was reality, his girlfriend was pregnant, he didn't know what to do or how to act. Words. He needed to say words.

"Holy shit, Kate. What are we going to do?" She hated that she was the reason for the fear in his eyes.

"We? Don't you mean me? I'm the one that has this thing inside of me. I'm the one who-"

"I know that, Kate," he interrupted her tirade. "But if you think I'm going to leave you hanging to deal with this all alone, you're nuts. I mean, I know we're young, and most of this is going to be your decision, but babe, I'm going to be there for you, and this kid. Unless, you know, you want an abortion. Which, it's your body, and I don't want to make you do anything you don't want to do... what are your thoughts?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "I am freaking out a little bit. Or a lot. I don't know what to do. No matter what, we're going to have to tell our parents, and soon. Why don't we tackle that issue first?"

"I'd like to go in knowing the game plan," he pressed. "What are we going to do with this life we've created?"

"I don't know," she repeated herself. "I need some time to think about this. You know I want to be the first female Chief Justice, and that's not going to happen with a baby hanging around. On the other hand, I don't know if I'd be able to forgive myself if I had an abortion. Then again I don't want some stranger raising my kid. Every way I look at it there's another side. Look, why don't we tell them this weekend, that way we can think about this some more? Maybe on Sunday?" For the past few months the Becketts and Rodgers had been getting together on Sundays to eat brunch. Sometimes they went out, but more often than not Johanna cooked for them all.

"Alright. Ultimately it's up to you, but I would like to talk about this." Kate nodded and glanced at her watch.

"Crap, I think I should get going. My mom's going to be down my throat the second she gets home. She caught me throwing up this morning," she explained. "We'll talk later," she threw over her shoulder as she made her way quickly to the door. She had closed the door before Rick could even get out a reply.

* * *

Kate let herself into her apartment with the flick of a key and closed the door behind her. Just as she was breathing a sigh of relief at beating her mother home, she heard shuffling in the kitchen. _Guess I'm not alone after all_ she thought. She hoped with all her might that it was her father rummaging in the kitchen. Her mother could read her like an open book and she was trying to keep her secret, well, _secret_ for the time being.

"Katie," her mother's voice drifted out, "is that you?"

"Yeah Mom, it's me," she called back. "I'm going to my room. Homework!" She had just sat down on her bed when her mother walked in. Great, there was no evading her now.

"Hey Sweetie, how are you feeling? You look better."

"Yeah, I'm feeling much better than this morning," the teen affirmed. She made a show of pulling a large book from her bag. "Was there something you wanted?"

"No," Johanna responded nonchalantly. "I just wanted to check on my girl, see how she's doing. How was your test today? Calculus, right?" She leaned against the doorway to her daughter's room, both hands behind her.

"Yeah, calculus. It was alright. I'll let you know after I see the grade," she grimaced. She hoped her mother bought it.

"Really? Nothing about it gave you trouble," she pressed in the voice that meant she was out for blood.

"No, not really. Like I said, I'll let you know," she began leafing through the volume in her hands. _Please go away,_ she thought.

"You know," Johanna began again, "I found this on the kitchen table after you left," she held out her daughter's calculator. "Seems like something you might need for a calculus test." Kate had a bad feeling about the direction this conversation was going.

"Ms. Davis let me use one of the spares she has," she lied quickly. "It's a different model and you have to really jab the 4 key, but it got the job done. I'm lucky I was the only one who left theirs at home. I'm so stupid sometimes," she laughed nervously. She watched as her mother shifted her weight they way she had seen her do countless times in the courtroom. Her mother knew something was up, but did she really know? Kate felt sweat beading up on her lower back. Johanna let out a non-committal hum.

"Katie, tell me honestly, is there something going on I should know about?" She was taking the soft mom approach; maybe she didn't have any solid hunches yet.

"No, Mom, everything is fine. Really," she met her mother's eyes. She could tell her mother smelled a rat.

"This morning you mentioned the test almost by accident, but I know you, Katie. You wouldn't just forget about a test; usually you're talking about them weeks in advance. I don't think you had a calculus test today. I think you were talking about a different test altogether. Maybe one of these," she produced a pregnancy test from behind her back. It was identical to the one she and Rick had purchased earlier, and for a split second she wondered how her mother had gotten a hold of it.

"What, mom? No! I mean, really?" denial was the first defense that sprang to her mind. She could feel her face flushing; she was so busted.

"Look, I don't have to like it, but I know you and Rick have a physical relationship," she sighed, "and as smart as the two of you are, sometimes it happens. Tell me: are you pregnant?"

"No," she denied. "I'm not. Don't worry so much, okay," she tried to go for a lighter tone.

"Well, can you do me a favor and just take this? It'll set my mind at ease," she reasoned.

"Mom," she protested, "please don't make me do this. I'm not pregnant. I'm not!" her voice was peppered with agitation. Her mother knew she had her trapped.

"Come on, it only takes a few minutes and then we can get on with our lives."

"I don't have to go to the bathroom," she tried one last lie.

"It doesn't take much," he mother assured her. "A few drops will do." Kate grabbed the box from her mother roughly and made her way to the small bathroom across the hall. "I want to see the results, Katherine," her mother called through the closed door.

With a sense of deja-vu, she pried the test from the box and sat it on the counter. Already knowing how to perform the test, she did so and set a timer before shooting a text to her boyfriend.

 _K: My mom ambushed me when I go home with a pregnancy test. I don't know how she knew. I'm so sorry. She just knew somehow._

 _R: WTF? How...? Let me know how it goes. I'm sorry we couldn't tell her together._

Kate pocketed the phone and, for the second time that day, held a positive pregnancy test in her hand as she opened the door. Her mother was looking at her expectantly.

"I'm so sorry," Kate choked out, "I'm sorry," she repeated as she handed her mother the test and rushed back into her bedroom. She gracelessly flopped on her bed and hugged a pillow to her chest. She fought back sobs as she waited for her mother to follow her.

"Katie," she started softly. She placed the test on the nightstand and moved to sit next to her daughter. "Katie," she began again, "Sweetheart, you're going to be okay." Red-rimmed, hazel eyes looked up at Johanna from behind a pillow. "When did you find out?"

"I've been thinking about it for a few days, but I just took my first test earlier today at Rick's apartment," she confided. "Mom, I'm terrified. I honestly don't know what to do. Every other time in my life I've had a problem, I've been able to sit down and think it through. I don't even know where to start with this one. I can't... I don't..." her words gave way to sobs. She felt hands on her back, tracing slowly up and down.

"It's not going to be easy," Johanna admitted. "No matter what comes of this, this event is going to stick with you forever. Even if you choose to terminate, you'll carry that with you for life."

"I'm not sure I could live with myself if I had, you know, an abortion," the teen admitted. "I know we aren't particularly religious, but I still don't think life should be wasted. But I know I have so many years ahead of me, I have so much I want to do. I'm not sure I can make it through college and law school with a child. I don't think I can have an abortion, but I don't want to have a child either. At the same time, I'm not sure if adoption is the best route either. I'm not sure I'd be able to live knowing somebody else has my child. But I can't raise a kid! There's no way. And now I'm back to the beginning of my argument. I don't think I want an abortion, I'm not sure I'm okay giving away a child, and I can't raise it! This is impossible," she grumbled. Her mother pulled her into a tighter embrace.

"Sweetheart, I know you're only seventeen and this is a huge decision you have to make. Unfortunately there is no right or wrong answer here. It's simply what you can live with." Johanna raked her hands through her daughter's hair. "How does Rick feel about this?"

"He's scared, naturally. We talked for a little bit before I left, and he says he's behind me no matter what I choose. We were going to tell you on Sunday, along with Dad and Martha, so we were going to talk more about it later. But you had to go all Super Mom and ruin the plan."

"I'm sorry, Katie. I've seen you struggling for a few days now, and when I saw you throwing up this morning, I just knew. I can't explain it exactly, but I just knew. So I had to do what I had to do. Speaking of, we'll need to set up a visit to the OB/GYN for you. Regardless of which option you choose, you still need to see a doctor. We can call tomorrow morning; it's getting to be late for that."

"Is there any way we could find a new doctor? She was so judgmental the first time I went, like I was doing something wrong. Her face when I told her I was having sex with Josh, it just... I'd prefer someone else." She had very few secrets from her mother; they had talked for a long time after Kate lost her virginity at 16 to the motorcycle-riding president of the biology club.

"Whatever makes you comfortable, Honey."

"Can we keep this between us? Just... not tell Dad? At least until Sunday? Maybe I'll have my head on a little straighter by then," she reasoned. Her mother sighed.

"You know I don't like keeping things from your father, Kate. But this is your news, your decision, so I think we can wait until Sunday. But you need to tell him."

"I know, and I will. Sunday. I promise."

"Okay. I'm going to go cook dinner now. We're having soup and sandwiches in case you really just had the stomach flu. How are you feeling now? Up to eating?"

"Yeah, Mom, I'm fine now. I started feeling better around lunch time." Her mother stood from her place at the side of her bed.

"I want you to know that I love you, Katie. I'm a little disappointed at the way your life is going right now, but I'm never going to stop loving you. Oh, you might want to get rid of the test before your father gets home," she placed a kiss on her daughter's head before exiting the room.

Once her mother was back in the kitchen Kate collected the test from her nightstand and the box from her bathroom along with some other garbage from the apartment to conceal the test. She was making her way to the trash chute when her father came through the front door.

"Katie," he greeted, "you got mail from Stanford. Big envelope," he raised his eyebrows at his daughter. She smiled weakly at him on her way out the door.

Jim moved into the kitchen to greet his wife. She was standing in front of the stovetop stirring a pot, but he could tell her mind was a million miles away. First Kate wouldn't meet his eyes, and now his wife? Clearly something was going on.

"Johanna, is something going on with Katie?"

"Hm? No, nothing that I know of," she turned from the stove. "Why?"

"I'm not sure, exactly. I waved a big envelope from Stanford at her face and she barely smiled. Stanford's her top choice; I expected a bigger reaction."

"Maybe she's just distracted. I think she had a test today that threw her for a little bit of a loop." Johanna turned off the stove with a flick of her wrist and planted a kiss to her husband's cheek. "Whatever it is, I'm sure she's fine."

 _Author's note: This chapter was interesting to write. We never met Johanna in the series, but I get the feeling she would be much like my own mother: compassionate and fair, unwilling to jump to conclusions. I'm sure there is much more going on in her mind than she's letting us see right now, though._

 _I thank you guys for sticking with me and reading this far. I implore you to drop me a note and let me know what you thought. Is the story flowing? Did you have a favorite moment, did I leave something out? What would you like to see next?_


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: The reviews on the last chapter were amazing, and I thank everyone who took the time to drop me a line. This chapter, again, carries straight on from the previous chapter. Enjoy!_

 _Dear Ms. Beckett._

 _It is my delight to offer you admission into the Stanford class of 2019. Congratulations! Your application set you apart from thousands of other applications we received for the upcoming year..._

Tears began flowing freely down her face and she couldn't read further. This is what she had been waiting years for! She momentarily forgot about the small human growing inside her as she flipped through the information Stanford had sent her. She was looking at a form full of meal plan options when her mother called her to come for dinner and reality came crashing down. Her tears of happiness were replaced by tears of sadness as she made her way to the table.

"Katie, what's wrong," her father asked, noticing the tears on his daughter's face.

"I got into Stanford," she smiled.

"Then why the tears?" She grabbed a sandwich and bowl of soup from the kitchen before returning to the table and joining her parents.

"I'm happy, and I'm sad... but everything's good. It's, well, I just started to think about what moving across the country would actually be like. I'd miss you guys," it was only partly a lie; she would miss her parents if she ended up moving away. She was not ready to reveal her biggest problem to her father.

"Nah, you'll get over us in about ten minutes. You love California!" her father jibed. Kate made quick work of her dinner and made her excuse.

"I'm going to my room now. I have a few people to tell about Stanford." Once she was alone in her room she pulled out her phone and shot a text to her best friend other than Rick.

 _K: Hey. You busy?_

 _L: Nope! Whatcha want?_

 _K: I'm gonna call you._

She tapped the icon on her screen and her friend answered instantly.

"Hey, girl! What's up?" her friend asked brightly.

"A lot is happening with me, Lanie. But what about you? How is NYU treating you?" Lanie was a year ahead of Kate in school and was already enrolled in university courses.

"Same old, same old. Really, nothing is new with me. But you! You said something's up. Talk," she demanded. Kate let out a sigh.

"I got a lot of news today," she began. "Smallest first: I got into Stanford, Lanie," finally some excitement leaked into her voice.

"Girl, that is awesome! How many does that make now?" Kate glanced at the growing stack of acceptance letters on her vanity.

"Enough," she smiled into the phone.

"But wait, you said that was the small news. If that's small, what the hell is big news to you?" Before her friend could start speculating, Kate spat it out.

"I'm pregnant," she blurted. There was silence on the other end of the line. "Lanie," she prompted.

"I'm gonna kill that boy of yours," she snarled.

"Lanie, as much as I appreciate the offer, it does take two. We were always careful; we always used protection. But it happened."

"Does Rick know? Do your parents know? What are you planning on doing with the baby?"

"Rick knows, my mom knows, and I have no idea what to do about the...baby." She tripped over the word "baby" and felt tears start to sting her eyes. "It's just, it's a huge decision, you know?" She pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes.

"Well, whatever you choose, I'll be there for you, Honey."

"That's what mom and Rick both said, that they'll be there for me. I'm glad I'll have support after I make the decision, but what about now, huh? I'm trying to make the biggest decision of my life, and I can't! I just don't know what to do! I don't know how to make a decision like this! I-"

"Hey," Lanie cut her off, "okay, okay. Let's talk about this. Would you consider raising this baby? Do you think your parents would be supportive of that?" Kate ran a hand through her hair.

"I don't know. I mean, I'm 17. I have no idea what I'm doing with my own life right now, let alone someone else's. My mom says she's behind me whatever I do, but I don't know what my dad would do." She grabbed a pillow from behind her on the bed and punched it in her lap.

"If your dad were okay with it, do you think you'd be able to raise it?" Kate chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before replying.

"Well," she hesitated, "I'm not sure. I'm young, and I'm inexperienced. So is Rick. I think it would depend on how much support we could get from our parents. I don't know how my dad and Martha are going to react to this. But, they say nobody is ever really ready for parenting, and they just learn as they go. So maybe?"

"Okay," Lanie continued, "If you aren't comfortable raising the baby, how about adoption?"

"I don't know about that either. I mean, it's my baby, and I don't know how I would feel knowing that he or she is out there in the world with someone else. What if I ran into my kid someday and didn't even know it was my kid? How heartbreaking would that be? Or what if they ended up with some horrible parents, like worse than two stupid teenagers?"

"Sweetie, you're unlucky, but not stupid. Um, how would you feel if you had an abortion?"

"How would I feel? Relieved? Horrible? Some mix of both. I mean, I know it's the most logical decision to make at this point in my life. Then I can go to Stanford and then onto law school and I won't have to worry about this anymore. But I know that it's a life. I don't know how I'd live with myself if I ended a life," her voice was raw.

"It sounds to me like you don't really want an abortion, and you don't want to give it up, but you might be okay with keeping it. I know it's a lot to take in, but maybe you should talk this over with Rick. I know you'll decide what to do on your own and you just needed me as a sounding board. And once you make your decision, nobody is going to be able to change your mind."

"Lanie, you're the best, and you're totally right. I need to talk to Rick, and our parents, but I think... I think I might keep this baby," she worried her lip between her teeth again. "Listen, thank you for being there, but I really need to talk to Rick. I'll call you later," she rushed to get off the line.

"Of course, Honey. If you need anything, you call me anytime."

"Thank you so much.," she rang off. She sighed and sank back against the pillows lining her headboard. The lure of sleep was tempting to her tired body, but she had to call her boyfriend before she fell asleep. She tapped Rick's name on her phone screen and placed the device up to her ear.

"Hey babe," he greeted. She heard the sound of his bed springs as he settled onto his own bed.

"Hey, you got a few minutes to talk?"

"For you, I have a lifetime," he smiled into the receiver.

"I wanted to talk to you about the baby. I've been thinking about it nonstop, and I think I want to try to raise it. I know it's not going to be easy, but I think we can do it. I mean, if you're okay with it that is. I can't do this alone. But if you don't want to-"

"Kate," he interrupted, "that's fine with me. You know I'm the idealist here; we can do anything!"

"Rick," she said doubtfully, "can we really do this? Really think about it. Think about how it's going to change our lives. I don't know about you, but it's definitely changing where I go to school." Rick caught the downturn in her tone.

"Wait," he caught on, "did you hear from Stanford?" He heard her yawn before responding.

"Yeah," she admitted, "I got accepted. But that doesn't matter now. I'm not going," she said dejectedly. "There's no way I can go to Stanford with an infant. No. I've already gotten into NYU and Columbia-"

"Jesus, Kate. Where else did you get in?"

"Well, I applied to a lot of schools so my options would be open. So far I've also gotten into USC and Emory. There are some I haven't heard from and a handful I didn't get into, but I think it's pretty clear I'm staying close to home. I'm going to need support from you and Martha and Mom and Dad. Wait, you, Rick, what are you doing after high school?"

"Going to NYU with my sweetie," he replied casually. "What? I got in there too. Seems they aren't so discerning in their selection process."

"Hey, I don't want you to feel trapped or obligated because of this."

"Kate, just because I'm not the one carrying this baby doesn't mean I shouldn't have the same responsibilities. It took both of us to make this child. We should be in this together."

"Well, I just don't want you to end up resenting me or this baby."

"I don't think I could ever resent you," he said sincerely. She yawned again.

"That's sweet, but I don't want you to ever feel like I'm holding you back."

"You don't hold me back; you make me a better person. You inspire me to try harder at everything I do. I love you, Kate, and I don't want you to doubt that."

"I know you love me" she said sleepily, "and you know I love you too. I just wanted to be sure you're really okay with this."

"Yes, I'm fine with this. I told you I'd support you no matter what. I mean that. Now, you sound really tired, so I'm going to let you get some rest."

"But it's only 9:30," she protested. "God, I'm pathetic."

"Not pathetic," he assured, "just pregnant. That's really going to start zapping your energy, you know."

"Just pregnant," she laughed. "Okay, I wish I had more energy to fight you, but I don't, and I'd really like to go to sleep now. Good night, Rick. I love you."

"Mm, love you too. Sleep well."

She ended the call and barely plugged her phone into its charger before she fell asleep on top of her covers, still fully clothed from school that day.

 _Author's Note: So much dialog! Eventually we will start skipping time between chapters, otherwise this story would end up with over 600 chapters, and that's a little excessive. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has read this far, and ask that you leave me a little review. They're awesome._


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: Is it Sunday yet? Read on to find out!_

Sitting at lunch with Rick and Javier the next day, Kate felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out as discreetly as possible and read the message from her mother. Apparently she had an appointment with her new OB/GYN after school. Great. She pretended to listen to Rick and Javier talking about the Knicks while she debated telling her boyfriend about the appointment. Did she want him to come with her? She'd only been to a gynecologist once, and she wasn't sure it was the type of experience she wanted to share with anyone else. Rick had said he wanted to be with her through it all.

Would he even want to come? She noticed both boys looking at her and figured she must have missed something. Upon seeing her vacant gaze the boys just chuckled and continued on with their conversation. When they were leaving the lunch room Kate grabbed Rick's hand. The pair let Javier begin down the hall before Kate spoke.

"I have a, well, a doctor's appointment to go to this afternoon. After school. You don't have to go, but I'm inviting you if you'd like to be there. I don't want you to feel like you have to be there. I mean, I'll be fine on my own, You know what? Forget I said anything. I'll go alone."

"Kate, I can go with you. I don't know what goes on at these appointments, but I told you I'd be there. You don't have to do this alone. I'll meet you after school? We'll go together," he told her. She nodded her assent and the pair made their way to the third period English class they shared.

Before they knew it, school was over and they found themselves in the waiting room of her doctor. Kate had her hands folded in her lap as she stared at the floor, while Rick was staring at a poster on the wall opposite him, bouncing his leg up and down. He was nervous. He'd never been to this type of doctor before, and he felt eyes on him around the waiting room.

"Katherine," a nurse appeared from behind a door. Kate and Rick stood as one and made their way to the nurse. "Just Katherine, please," she directed at Rick. "I'll come get you in a few minutes," she added as an afterthought. Kate's eyes met Ricks for a moment before she followed the nurse to a small room where she was weighed and her blood pressure was tested. The nurse was quick with the needle as she drew blood for testing. Kate was led into another room and handed a bundle of linen with the instruction to wear nothing underneath. She sat alone for what felt like forever before she heard a light knock on the door, immediately followed by the entrance of a doctor and aide.

"Hello Katherine," the doctor greeted. "I'm Doctor Green." The woman shuffled through Kate's medical file. "It says here you've tested positive on a home pregnancy test."

"Twice," Kate confirmed.

"Alright. Well, let's go over your medical history. I need you to be honest with me, okay Katherine?" She nodded in response. "Okay. You were in this office almost a year ago. Have you had any health concerns since then?" Kate indicated no. "Are you taking any regular medications, prescription or vitamins, anything like that?" Again, no. The mundane questions went on and on, and included questions about the general health of her entire extended family. "Alright," the doctor continued with a softer tone to her voice, "was the sexual act that resulted in pregnancy consensual?" Kate looked up, alarmed.

"What? Yes, of course."

"Okay, I just wanted to be sure. Pregnancy is a difficult enough time to deal with on its own, let alone for someone of your age. Have you considered what you're going to do with the baby?"

"For now I'm entertaining the idea of raising it. I have the support of my boyfriend, who is in the waiting room, and the support of my mother. The news in fairly recent, so my father and Rick's mother don't know yet."

"It seems you've given this some thought. But as I said before, pregnancy can be emotionally taxing, so I'm going to give you some information about a counselor I trust. You don't have to see her, but if you start to feel overwhelmed I want you to contact her. It's not a sign of weakness to need someone to talk to. I don't want you to feel like I'm judging you based on your age, Katherine. But you need to expect some social backlash when your condition becomes more apparent. I want you to be prepared." Kate nodded. "Alright, I'd like to perform an internal examination now. Please lay back and place your feet in the stirrups." Kate did as she was instructed, and stared up at the ceiling while her doctor performed the exam.

"Where's Rick?" Kate's eyes never left the ceiling as she spoke. "The nurse said she'd bring him back in a few minutes."

"Well, I'd imagine the nurse has him filling out forms with his medical history, just to see if there's anything we need to look out for. Anyway, according to the date of your last menstrual period, you're about seven weeks along. I'd like to perform an ultrasound to be sure everything is developing as it should. At this stage, it will be a vaginal ultrasound, which is invasive, so we might just leave Rick in the waiting room."

"He's already seen all of me," she admitted. "And I'd hate to make him feel like he came for no reason." The doctor agreed and sent for Rick as she readied the ultrasound equipment. Rick entered the room looking nervous and settled himself in a chair near her head. When he saw the ultrasound transducer his eyes went wide. He really had the easy role in this pregnancy. The pair of teens watched the screen as the doctor performed the procedure.

"Everything looks good so far. It looks like the embryo has implanted correctly in the uterus. I'd definitely put you around seven weeks. Based on the ultrasound and your last period, I'm putting your due date at September 10th." The doctor pointed to a flickering spot on the screen. "That's your baby's heart beating," she smiled at the pair.

Before seeing the image of their child, Rick had an almost detached image of what was happening inside his girlfriend. He knew from his biology course that a rapidly dividing cluster of cells was growing in her uterus, and she would not be feeling very well. Seeing the tiny, bean-shaped image on the screen shifted things in his brain. This was real. There was a real, living thing growing inside Kate. It would continue to grow, and she would give birth to a child they would be responsible for. The thought took his breath away as the reality of the situation hit him.

The doctor removed the ultrasound wand from her patient and cleaned her up. She gathered several papers and copies of the grainy image and shoved them into a folder which she handed to Kate.

"I've given you a prescription for prenatal vitamins. It's important that you take them to help your baby grow healthily. There's information in the folder about nutrition and proper diet. If you're not already experiencing morning sickness, it will most likely set in soon. If the nausea becomes too intense and interferes with your daily life, I want you to call me and I can prescribe medication to help combat the nausea. I want you to abstain from risky activities, and under no circumstances should you be drinking or smoking. Do either of you have any questions for me?" Neither teen did. "Okay, well if you think of anything between now and your next visit, you can call the office or send me a message through the patient portal system. That's all for now, and I'd like to see you back around week fourteen. You're young and healthy with little risk of genetic disorders, so I don't see any reason to expect anything other than a smooth pregnancy for you." The doctor stood and shook hands with both Rick and Kate before leaving the room.

Once she was dressed, Kate and Rick made their way out to reception where Kate paid and scheduled her next appointment. Once on the street, Kate rifled through the folder the doctor had given her and produced a copy of the ultrasound photo.

"I want you to keep this one," she handed it to him. She tried to meet his eyes, but he seemed to be a million miles away. "Is everything okay, babe?" He looked at the photo in his hands.

"I guess it all hit me at once," he admitted. "I didn't think about how real this all is. I guess I was stuck in the idealism of it all, the rosy picture of us as a family. It's so much more. Right now it's just this tiny little thing inside you, but soon it's going to be a real baby we have to take care of. It's just... wow. It's a lot. I can't believe I didn't think of it before."

"Doctor Green gave the the number of a counselor. Apparently she's really good with helping teens through pregnancy. She gave me the number, but I'm sure this woman would be willing to help you too. If you need someone to talk to that isn't me, I understand. I respect that. I know this is a lot to take in; it's all I've been thinking about for days. But if you start to feel overwhelmed, know that you can talk to me anytime, Rick." She took his hand. "I mean it. We're in this together, and I don't want you think you have to be the strong one just because you're the man." He nodded and tucked the photo into his pocket.

"Okay. I think I'm going to go home and process this."

"Babe, don't shut me out-"

"I'm not. I promise. I just need to think. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay," she frowned. The duo turned and headed in opposite directions to their respective homes.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It seemed Rick really just needed a night to gather himself, as he was back to normal at school the next day. They talked, they laughed, and they avoided discussing her pregnancy. Before either of them were ready, it was suddenly Sunday morning. Kate was agitatedly pacing in her bedroom waiting for the two Rodgers to show up for brunch. She heard the door buzzer and ran a hand through her hair before exiting her bedroom. The teen greeted Martha with a hug and Rick with a peck on the lips. Rick and Martha followed her into the dining room where her mother was just setting a plate of pancakes in the center of the table. Coffee, juice, eggs, bacon, and pancakes were passed around the table, and the teens were growing more anxious by the minute. Both were engrossed in their plates as the adults made light conversation around them.

"Richard," Martha began, "is something wrong? You and Katherine have been very quiet all morning."

"Wrong?" Rick's voice cracked. He cleared his throat. "Wrong? No, nothing's wrong. Nothing at all." His mother narrowed her eyes at him.

"Richard, you are a terrible liar. Spit it out. What did you do?" Not expecting anything of any consequence, the actress' tone was light.

"What did I do? I, uh, well," he was looking around the room frantically, looking for any out.

"Katherine," Martha prodded, "what's going on here?" Kate determinedly stared at her plate.

"Come on, Katie Bug," he dad started. "It can't be that bad." Tears started falling down her cheeks.

"I'm pregnant," she said in a small voice. Johanna's face registered no shock, but Martha's mouth fell open at Kate's words. Her father didn't seem to know how to react.

"Katie. I thought you'd be more responsible than this," her father sighed.

"We were responsible. We were safe, every time. But it still happened," Kate defended.

"Obviously you weren't careful enough," her father retorted. Something snapped inside Kate and she couldn't contain her anger.

"You know what, dad? We _were_ careful. We managed just fine for six months. No pregnancy then. And you know what else? Rick's not my first! Yeah, I had sex with Josh too. I didn't get pregnant then either. So I think I know how to not get pregnant. Sometimes shit happens," she looked at her father, but he wouldn't meet her eyes. After a tense moment, Martha spoke again.

"So what do you two plan on doing about this?"

"Well," Rick began, "we plan on raising this baby."

"You what?!" Jim exclaimed. "You're both seventeen. You can't possibly think you're up to the task of raising a child; you are children yourselves!"

"Why not?" Martha asked. "I was only 18 when I had Richard, and I did it alone. I haven't even seen his father since the night he was conceived. I plan on supporting Richard and Katherine in whatever they choose to do. God knows my parents weren't supportive, and I really wish they had been."

"They have my support too," Johanna added. "This is a hard enough situation for them to be in; they don't need stress from us on top of it all."

"It doesn't mean I have to be happy about it," Jim grumbled.

"I, uh, went to the doctor this week," Kate spoke again. She produced a copy of her ultrasound photo and placed it on the table. Martha was the first to grab it.

"How far along are you, Katherine?"

"The doctor says seven weeks. My due date is September 10th," she explained. Kate picked at the remnants of breakfast on her plate.

"Eat your eggs, Katie," her father told her. It was a demand he hadn't made since she was six.

"I'm not really in the mood for eggs," she protested.

"Well, it's not all about you anymore, is it Katie," he retorted shortly. Her face paled as she choked down her eggs. Her stomach rolled at the taste.

"How have you been feeling?" Martha continued her questions, ignoring Jim's interruptions.

"Exhausted and nauseated," Kate replied honestly. "The doctor says that should go away when I hit the second trimester." Suddenly her face blanched. "Excuse me," she muttered as she ran from the table. The door to her bathroom closed a moment later.

Rick stood and followed his girlfriend. He paused outside her bathroom. He could hear her retching and he hesitated, rapping lightly on the door before entering. She was on the floor in front of the toilet, her frame convulsing violently as her muscles worked to bring up the breakfast she had just eaten. As soon as she caught her breath she turned to him.

"Rick, get out of here. This is gross. You don't need to be here for this part. I'm begging you, please just go wait in my room. I'll be out in a minute." For once in his life, Rick didn't argue with her. He went into her room and plopped himself on the bed. Minutes later Kate joined him.

"I told. him I didn't want to eat those eggs," she groaned. "This is exactly why."

"Yeah," Rick said. "I think he doesn't know how to respond right now." He leaned against her headboard.

"I guess things could've gone worse," she said. "I know my dad's pissed, but he'll probably come around. At least we have our mothers." Rick pulled her body into his and wrapped his arms around her lithe frame. In the distance they could hear Jim's raised voice and they knew his temper had not yet cooled. Rick pressed a kiss into his girlfriend's hair.

"Let's give our mothers a few minutes to calm him down before we go back out there," Rick suggested. Kate nodded into his body.

"My dad is a little over protective," she explained, "and I think he's a little overwhelmed right now. We have until September to make him see our way, but I hope it doesn't take that long. Everything I've ever done in my life has been supported by my dad. He's always behind me, no matter what. Even when I pierced my belly button, he was mad, but a few days later he told me that he was happy it wasn't a tattoo. He'll come around. I know he will. I just don't like the limbo we're in until he makes up his mind."

"You do get some of your determination from your father," Rick conceded. "Hopefully it doesn't take long for him to come around." They laid together for a few minutes more, hearing voices coming from the living room. Rick held her tighter as they waited for the storm to subside. Both hoped Jim Beckett would be supportive of his daughter in the end.

 _Author's Note: Well, this is the longest chapter yet. Sorry it took a while to get out, but I started taking medication for my insomnia, and the ability to sleep cuts into my writing time. I didn't get to proofread this, so cut me some slack on minor spelling and grammar mistakes. I did spend a good bit of time writing this for you guys, so please take a moment to drop me a line and let me know what you're thinking. Your reviews are very much appreciated._


	5. Chapter 5

She woke up minutes before her alarm to throw up nothing but bile. Now she was running late to school even though she hadn't taken time for breakfast. She knew she had to eat, but she also had to make it to her first period class in time, so she had tossed a breakfast bar into her bag on her way out the door. As it was, the bar sat untouched in her bag. Her butt had just hit the seat as the final bell rang and class began. With heavy legs and a light head, she made her way to her second period biology class. Walking down the science hall, she could smell formaldehyde and it made her sensitive stomach roll. She paused outside her classroom and pulled out her syllabus. Just as she feared, her class was scheduled for dissection that day. There was no way her stomach would last through 90 minutes in that room. How was she going to make it through the period?

"You too, huh," a voice interrupted her thoughts. Her gaze rested on the boy who had spoken to her. He was roughly her height, with blue eyes and sandy brown hair, but she couldn't remember ever seeing him before.

"Sorry, me too what?"

"It's dissection day and you don't want to go in. It's alright. Ms. Samson said to wait out here and she'd give us a hall pass in a few minutes." Kate's face must have shown some surprise, so the boy continued. "You know, to go to the library for the dissection simulation. Usually I'm the only one who does it. My name's Kevin Ryan, by the way."

"Kate Beckett," she managed to choke out. "Nice to meet you." The boy smiled at her.

"So what is it about the dissections that bothers you?"

"I can't stand the smell. It turns my stomach," she answered honestly.

"Ah, yeah. My whole family's vegetarian. I have an ethics thing about it," he commented casually. Just then their teacher came out with their hall pass and instructions to speak to the librarian about getting the right software. The pair made their way to the library from the science hall in companionable silence. After speaking with the elderly librarian, they each sat in front of ancient desktop computers and "dissected" the animal on the screen in front of them. Before long the bell rang and dismissed them to lunch. Kate noticed that Kevin was not heading for the lunch room, but pulling a brown bagged lunch out of his backpack.

"Are you not going to the lunch room?" she asked with confusion.

"Well, no," he responded. "I generally eat in here. I just started school here at the beginning of the semester and haven't really made any friends yet," he admitted shyly.

"No wonder you didn't look familiar. You should come eat lunch with my group. It's no fun eating by yourself. Come on," she led him into the cafeteria. Spotting Rick and Javier at their usual table, she walked over with Kevin following her closely.

"Thanks for eating lunch with me," he said before they reached the table. "Maybe after school I could buy you a coffee and you could tell me more about what goes on at this school." She turned to him with wide eyes.

"Oh, I uh," she rubbed a hand over her stomach. "I have a boyfriend. You're about to meet him."

"Oh! I didn't, wow, yeah," he mumbled with red cheeks.

"Hey guys," she greeted the other two as if nothing had happened, "this is Ryan Kevin. He's pretty new around here. This is Javier and my boyfriend Rick."

"Hi Ryan," they responded in unison.

"It's actually Kevin Ryan, not Ryan Kevin," he smirked as he sat down.

"I'm sorry," Kate apologized, "but that's bound to happen when you have two first names instead of a first and a last," she teased.

"Yeah, it's not the first time that's happened," he admitted, pulling his lunch out of his bag again.

"I've got to admit, man, you look more like a Ryan than a Kevin," Javier supplied around a mouthful of hamburger. "I'm calling you Ryan."

"Dude, that's not even the worst thing I've been called," he admitted.

"Kate, where's your lunch?" Rick asked, holding his own hamburger out. "Want some of mine?"

"No, I think I'll be fine without it today. I can't get the smell of formaldehyde out of my brain and it's turning my stomach."

"Kate," he said in a warning tone.

"Rick, she responded in a mocking tone. "I know," she said in a quieter voice. "But I really don't think I could keep it down."

"So what's the story between those two?" Kevin asked Javier.

"They've been dating for like 8 months or something, but recently it seems like they have some sort of secret between them. I haven't figured it out yet, but I plan to." The couple in question looked back at them. "What is the deal between you two lately?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Javier," Kate responded coolly. "There's nothing different now than there was last week."

"Which is when the weirdness started," Javier defended. Rick and Kate shared a glance.

"Really, there's nothing," Rick tried.

"Bull. I was nice enough when you guys needed to talk last week, but there's something going on and I want to know." Kevin watched the exchange with interest. He thought he might know what was going on. The smells, the refusal to eat lunch, the comment about keeping it down, the way she absently touched her stomach. Either she had the flu, or he was right and she was pregnant. He watched his sister go through the same thing less than a year before.

"Javi, leave it alone," Kate pleaded.

"No, chica. You've been weird all semester. Tell me what's up. I thought we were friends!"

"Javi, it's not like that. I'll tell you, but I'm just not ready now."

"See? That's not a helpful statement. Now I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that something is going on. I can't let that stand. I won't tell anyone else; just tell me what's up." Kate looked at Rick, who nodded.

"I need your secrecy for now," she began, "and yours too, Kevin." Both boys nodded in acceptance. "I'm pregnant," she said in a low voice, looking around to ensure nobody else had heard. The boys looked at her with wide eyes.

"Seriously?" Javier choked out. "I thought you guys knew better."

"We do," Rick defended. "And we've already gotten this lecture, so we don't need it from you."

"Wow, how did your parents take it?"

"Well my dad is pissed," Kate said. "Our mothers seem to be taking it better. We're keeping it," she said to stave off further questions. "And I really don't want to talk about it right now," she dropped her head to her hands. "I'm honestly not feeling too well." As if to relieve her, the bell sounded, ushering the students to their next class. Javier, Kate, and Rick gave their farewells to Kevin, and the trio made their way to the same third period English class. Javier took his seat at the back of the room and the pair sat together at their seats in the front row.

Their teacher was ready with their lesson plan the second the final bell rang. Kate tried her hardest to pay attention, but her head was spinning and she couldn't concentrate. Her eyes could not focus on the words in the book in front of her. Not sure if she was going to be sick, she stood to make her way to the restroom.

Rick's attention was torn from the page in front of him as his girlfriend stood from her desk and grabbed for it to steady herself before falling to the ground, hitting her head on the way down.

"Kate!" he exclaimed as he jumped to her side. "Oh my God, Kate." By this time, the students around him were frozen in their seats. Their teacher seemed at a momentary loss for what to do. Rick was vaguely aware of their teacher instructing one of his classmates to get the nurse. What felt like an eternity later, the nurse appeared in the room just as Kate was starting to wake up.

"What happened?" the nurse asked Rick, who was still kneeling at Kate's side.

"She stood up and then she grabbed her desk before she fainted. She hit her head on the desk on her way down," he added quickly. He hesitated and looked around the room before whispering, "she's eight weeks pregnant." The nurse calmly instructed the English teacher to call for an ambulance before turning her attention to the confused and groggy Kate.

"Can you tell me your name?" Kate looked at the nurse for a moment before responding.

"Yes." If he hadn't been so worried, Rick would've found the situation funny.

"Who is the president," the nurse tried a new question.

"Kate Beckett. I'm Obama." She paused for a moment. "Wait. That's backwards. I'm Kate Beckett. The other guy's the president. Sorry. My brain's a little slow." The nurse smiled at her.

"It's alright, but we've called an ambulance just to be safe. I can't be sure you don't have a concussion."

"What happened," Kate asked, looking around.

"You fainted and hit your head," her boyfriend told her. "Scared the crap out of me, too." He helped her to her feet, knowing she wouldn't want to be on the floor. "Someone called an ambulance. They should be here soon." As if on cue, the medics entered the room. "I knew I should've made you eat lunch!"

"What? Why?" None of this was making sense to Kate. "I'll be okay. I'm just a little foggy right now."

"Kate," Rick said sternly, "you're going with them." Not ready to have this fight, she nodded and made her way unsteadily toward the medics standing outside the classroom. Not hesitating at all, Rick grabbed both of their belongings and made to follow her.

"Mister Rodgers," the nurse spoke to him outside the hall. "You know you can't leave school grounds without parental consent." He gaped at her. Her gaze softened and she seemed to take pity on him."I'll sort things out with the front office. You go with her."

Once they were in the hospital, Kate was being examined without her boyfriend present. Knowing what he had to do, he fished around the pockets of her bag and pulled out her cell phone. After entering her pass code into the phone he scrolled through her contacts and placed the device to his ear. Johanna's recorded voice mail message greeted him and he left a short message detailing where she could find her daughter. Reluctantly, he scrolled through the phone again to dial her father.

"Katie," the man greeted on the second ring, "why are you calling me during school? Is everything alright?"

"Jim, it's Rick. Kate fainted after lunch and hit her head. We're at the hospital right now."

"I'm leaving now. I should be there in a few minutes," Jim said simply, before hanging up. Rick watched as Kate's doctor left her room, waited a few moments, and headed in.

His girlfriend was sitting up in the hospital bed, looking slightly less pale than she had the last time he saw her. She was dressed in the same clothes she wore to school and had an IV attached to her left arm.

"Kate," he breathed. "What the hell happened?"

"I didn't eat breakfast," she admitted reluctantly. "Then I didn't eat lunch. Apparently my blood sugar dropped quite low and that's why I passed out. I don't have a concussion, thankfully."

"You're gonna be okay, right?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I just need to eat more regularly. I know I need to be eating, but eating makes me feel so terrible," she complained.

"Didn't Dr. Green offer to give you some nausea medication? Maybe you should call and ask for that," he suggested.

"Maybe," she conceded. "I hate taking medication, but it's probably best for the baby if I can actually eat. I've lost five pounds since I started feeling the nausea," she admitted sheepishly. Just then her father entered the room followed by the doctor who had examined her.

"Katie, what the hell happened? Rick said you fainted and hit your head. Are you okay? Is she going to be okay?" Jim turned to the doctor beside him. The young physician smiled back at him.

"She's going to be fine. She's been having some trouble eating well, which led to a pretty nasty low blood sugar. That caused her to fall and hit her head. There's no evidence of a lasting cranial injury. She might have a headache for a while, but she should be fine." The doctor turned to his young patient. "I know you haven't been feeling the best, but you really need to keep eating, Kate. We'll give you some anti-nausea medication, but it's not magic and you won't feel one hundred percent better. It's up to you to keep eating well. You can try eating smaller meals throughout the day to see if that helps. You're on the small side, so we don't want you to lose any more weight; we want to see you start gaining soon."

"I should've made you eat lunch," Rick grumbled guiltily.

"Rick, no," she interrupted him. "Don't say stuff like that. I'm a big girl and I'm the only one to blame if I don't eat." The doctor excused himself and the remaining trio continued to argue about who needed to make sure Kate was eating properly. Jim phoned Johanna again, and filled her in on what had happened that afternoon. Hours later, when Kate was discharged, the three made their way back to the Beckett residence, where Johanna had gone overboard with dinner. There was enough food to feed three families! Throughout the meal everyone kept glancing at Kate to make sure she was eating, and she didn't let them down.

 _Author's note: I almost posted this last night and stopped after Kate hit the deck. But I'm leaving in 20 minutes for a week-long children's camp where I volunteer. Knowing the next update wouldn't be for a while, I couldn't do that to you guys. At 5 chapters, this story is officially over 10,000 words! Wow! I'd greatly appreciate it if you could spare a moment and give me a review. Maybe they'll keep me sane through the week!_


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